This invention relates to spotfacing and counterboring tools, and more particularly to an improved self-contained piston operated rod for pivoting a cutter blade between operative and inoperative positions relative to the tool housing. More particularly this invention relates to an improved tool of the type described having a housing which contains a fluid or compressed air operated piston that is reciprocated in opposite directions in the housing in order to effect pivotal movement of an associated spotfacing and counterboring tool between operative and inoperative positions relative to the tool housing.
There are currently available in the marketplace numerous spotfacing and counterboring tools which employ a cutter blade which is pivotal into and out of a recess in the tool body by various means. For example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,729,699, No. 3,806,271 and No. 4,475,852 require a portion of the associated tool to be engaged against the face of the work, which is to be spotfaced or counterbored, in order for the associated cutter element to be swung from an inoperative position within a recess in the tool to an operative position in which the cutter projects radially from the tool. In my U.S. Pat. No. 5,839,860 the associated tool bit is manipulated between its operative and inoperative positions by a fly wheel, which is carried by the tool body; and in my U.S. Pat. No. 5,848,860 this movement is effected by a spring-loaded actuating ring, which is rotated briefly relative to the associated tool body to manipulate the associated tool bit each time the position of the tool body is reversed.
It has also been customary heretofore to manipulate tools of the type described by means of the use of fluid pressure or compressed air. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,572,182 teaches the manipulation of the associated spotfacing tool bit by a piston which is shifted between two limit positions by compressed air or fluid. My U.S. Pat. No. 5,927,911 also dicloses a tool in which the cutter blade or tool bit is manipulated, at least in part, by a fluid coolant which is supplied to the tool under pressure. In that patent the fluid pressure responsive tool bit actuator is removably mounted on the exterior of the tool body for axial reciprocation thereon. Moreover, the actuator requires a series of additional parts for transmitting its reciprocation to tool bit manipulator that is mounted internally of the tool body.
Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide an improved, integrated tool of the type described in which the fluid pressure operated tool bit actuator is enclosed within the tool housing rather than being exposed on the exterior thereof.
Still another object of this invention is to provide an improved, self-contained fluid actuated tool of the type described in which the fluid pressure responsive actuator is enclosed within the tool housing and is connected substantially directly to the tool bit manipulator.
A further object of this invention is to provide an improved self-contained fluid actuated tool of the type described which has a minimal number of elements connecting the pressure-responsive tool actuator to the associated tool bit, so that the tool is substantially sturdier and more inexpensive to manufacture than prior such tools.
Other objects of the invention will be apparent hereinafter from the specification and from the recite of the appended claims, particularly when read in conjunction with accompanying drawings.